Ethical Naturals, a nutraceutical ingredients supplier, has released long-term data from a study involving AlphaWave L-Theanine, finding that the ingredient is beneficial in healthy adults with moderate stress.
The study
The latest study, published in Neurology and Therapy, was designed to further examine the safety and efficacy of AlphaWave over a longer period of time than previous research.
This randomised, double-blind, parallel clinical trial enrolled 30 adults between 18 and 65 years of age who were supplemented with AlphaWave or placebo for 28 days.
The results
This study concluded that AlphaWave L-Theanine was safe, significantly decreased perceived stress, improved sleep quality and enhanced cognitive attention in the studied population.1
These results validate key S/F claims that AlphaWave helps relax without drowsiness, promotes mental clarity and focus, as well as reducing nervous tension.
Targeting a significant public health issue
The American Psychological Association’s 2023 report on Stress in America found that levels of stress in all age groups has grown consistently in recent years. Between 48% - 55% of Americans report experiencing stress that significantly impacts their well-being and health.2
Because stress levels are high, and drug treatments for managing stress can result in undesirable side effects, there’s a strong demand today for a safe supplement ingredients that reduce stress levels without these potentially negative effects.
Previous research
In previous studies, a single 200mg dose of AlphaWave has been shown to significantly increase alpha brainwave levels in moderately stressed adults.3 This is the key to its activity because alpha brainwaves, are associated with a state of relaxed wakefulness, typically observed when a person is awake but in a relaxed state.4
Research has also shown that alpha brainwaves play a positive role in a variety of cognitive processes including attention, memory and creativity.5
AlphaWave L-Theanine is GRAS Affirmed in the US and is now the only source of L-Theanine to be approved for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
Cal Bewicke, CEO of Ethical Naturals concludes: “We’ve now been collecting clinical and use data on AlphaWave for about ten years and this has supported its consistent growth in both supplements and beverages. Good clinical studies always involve a lot of time and work, but this new, longer-term study is another step forward in the development of AlphaWave and its contribution to stress relief.”
References
1 Safety and Efficacy of Alpha Wave® L‑Theanine Supplementation for 28 Days in Healthy Adults with Moderate Stress: A Randomized, Double‑Blind, Placebo‑Controlled Trial (Marc Moulin, David C. Crowley, Lora Xiong, Najla Guthrie, Erin D. Lewis Neurol Ther https://doi.org/10.1007/s40120-024-00624-7). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40120-024-00624-7
2 American Psychological Association Logo. Stress in America 2023: A nation recovering from collective trauma. Internet: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2023/collective-trauma-recovery.
3 Evans M, McDonald AC, Xiong L, Crowley DC, Guthrie N. A Randomized, Triple-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study to Investigate the Efficacy of a Single Dose of AlphaWave ® L-Theanine on Stress in a Healthy Adult Population. Neurol Ther. 2021 Dec;10(2):1061-1078. doi: 10.1007/s40120-021-00284-x. Epub 2021 Sep 25. PMID: 34562208; PMCID: PMC8475422. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40120-021-00284-x.
4 Lee DJ, Kulubya E, Goldin P, Goodarzi A, Girgis F. Review of the neural oscillations underlying meditation. Front Neurosci. 2018;12:178. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00178.
5 C Lustenberger, MR Boyle, AA Foulser, JM Mellin. Functional role of frontal alpha oscillations in creativity - Cortex, 2015, Volume 67, pages 74-82